


Spar With Me

by Leonawriter



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Post-Canon, SOLDIERs have weird ideas about flirting, and bonding activities in general, you're looking awfully non-platonic there Genesis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 16:51:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14981429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonawriter/pseuds/Leonawriter
Summary: The offer to spar isn't something Genesis had expected, but like with everything else regarding Cloud Strife, he'll take what he's given.





	Spar With Me

"Spar with me."

Genesis' head had snapped around so fast that there could almost have been whiplash. 

He stared, half expecting Cloud to retract the statement and offer with a shrug or shake of his head, but the blond was still looking at him in that fascinatingly inscrutable way of his. 

Marlene paused in bringing a man his drink, and he could see the way her eyes widened, the way she smiled, before she carried on, pretending - badly - that she hadn't heard anything.

"Is that your idea of a date?"

Cloud snorted, and shook his head, but it looked more like he was bemused than outright saying  _no._

Genesis would take what he could get.

...

It wasn't  _quite_ perfect - if it'd been up to him, the would have taken things out of the area entirely, to somewhere that neither of them minded if it got a little... roughed up. Midgar was hardly without memories for him, either. Both good and bad. 

But Cloud had shrugged when Marlene had asked brightly if she could watch, and since Marlene was coming then so were Tifa and Denzel. The next thing he'd known, a veritable swarm of children had started to follow them into a part of the ruins of the old city that was flat enough and stable enough, as well as big enough, to serve as their stage.

Rapier was a familiar weight in his hand once again, and it was easy enough to ignore the similarities in Cloud's stance to others he had fought against now that he had seen the man in action enough times to know just how different he was from any of them.

His heart beat fast, adrenaline kicking in, and he made the first move, rushing forward fast enough to kick up dust, but not fast enough that he caught Cloud off guard, and Rapier clashed loudly with the First Tsurugi.

They stayed there just long enough for them to test out the other's strength, to get a feel for the push and the pull, for Genesis to see a slight smirk pulling at Cloud's mouth that suggested he was already having  _fun._

He pushed, and Cloud gave - only to kick out and have Genesis dance back in order to keep him from his legs being taken out from under him.

_No wings, no materia, no destroying the area too badly_ \- those were the only rules in place.

Part of him wished that he could summon his wing simply to act as the counterbalance he had become so used to, and to push himself further, higher, faster. He understood why that rule was in place, however, and the last thing he wanted was to turn something enjoyable into a bad memory.

The other two were a part and parcel with each other, since they could do only so much damage on their own, with swords, and too much destruction would endanger their audience.

An audience of the sort that he wasn't  _used_ to, with their cheers and the way that they reacted to each little thing. Perhaps he had once sparred with Angeal in front of the other Thirds, or Seconds, but that was long ago in the past now, and none of those watching had been _children_ , none of them had been  _civilians._  

One of the pieces of First Tsurugi knocked out of Cloud's hand, and Genesis takes it, not to refuse a gift - Cloud grunts, frowns, goes on the offensive toward Genesis' left side, which would have been unfortunate had it not been for how although it was not his favoured hand, it was hardly a weak spot in any sense.

Not anymore, at least.

Genesis pushes each advantage he manages to take, kept on his toes at every turn - and yet he is reminded, so often, that there is no danger here that is not of his own making, no broken bond, no  _fear._

They are both out of breath when they come to a mutually agreed stop, but Genesis catches the smile on Cloud's face that the younger man doesn't even seem to be aware of.

It vanishes into a wide-eyed blink at sudden clapping from their small peanut gallery, and on the one hand the new expression is just as good as the last, especially with the way he ducks his head awkwardly, but on the other...

_That face,_ Genesis finds himself thinking as they head back to Edge and Seventh Heaven.  _I want it again._

Everything about it. The way that Cloud had kept up with him and driven him further, without being so far out of reach that he had seemed untouchable-

_No,_ he realised-

"We should do this again," he says.

Cloud looks back at him, over his shoulder, and his only response is a slight incline of the head, a slight ghost of a smile, one hand raising up to his face to brush away a stray hair, but Genesis will take what he can get, and hopes that it is a  _yes._

_-I need it._

**Author's Note:**

> This went through various iterations, with several different interpretations of 'addiction' before I landed on this. I just hope I did the fighting bits justice. That isn't really my strong point.
> 
> _Oh don’t you dare look back/ just keep your eyes on me/ I said “You’re holding back,” he said “Shut up and spar with me.”_
> 
> sorry, not sorry.


End file.
